Folding cabinet bed



March 16, 1943. y. J, R, THOMAS J 2,313,847

. FOLDING CABINET BED I Filed Jan. 2o, 1939 5 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

March 16, 1,943.` J. R. THOMAS 2,313,847

l FLDING CABINET BED Y l Filed Jan. 2o, 19:59 5 lsheets-smet 2 March: 161943. J. R. THOMAS l 2,313,847

V FOLDING CABINET BED Filed Jan. 2o, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Mmh 16, 1943. J. R. THOMAS 2,313,847

FOLDING CABINET BD 'Filed Jan. 2o, 1959 s Asheets-snaai 5 v l t L\ .Q Jawa/ l a 3y/JAW dura/vl ATTORNEY.

(means of doors which `are opened that a' `fun length o opart of an enclosing structure which isn 'fold 4automatically Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE g,a13,s47

FoLDnxrcr QABINET BED Joseph AR- fflwmas, ,Clcagv, 111t- Application January 20, 1939, Serial No 251592Z 6 claims. (c1, sfiga) This invention relates in general to a sectional folding bed enclosed in a cabinet, desk, chest Aof drawers, table, or other article Aof furniture and movable outwardly and unfolding to provide a bed of normal dimensions and including a mattress of material thickness for providing asleeping surface.

In cabinet folding beds of this type `-it has heretofore been necessary either to provide fa cabinet of objectionable height, too high for -a table or stand, to make the top hinged or otherwise movable, or to provide a cabinet or `container of such unusual dimensions that itis objectionable as an article of furniture.` ,I'he usual table or desk lshould not lhigher than 31 or 32 inches from the floor orit will be objectionably high, and to provide a stand `or container in which the top must be raised or removed, or the folding structure lswung out at the back is lfurther `objectionable (as an article t of furniture. o

The present Yinvention overcomes 4these objeco tions by providing a sectional folding `lagegcllvottom which is collapsed in a particularly compact relation vso that a full length bed may beincludt,

ed in a cabinet which is not objectionablyfhigh, Witha` xedtop, so that the folding sectionsre "pulledoutwardly from below thetop 'either by prior tojurfolding or by false doors which are openedangd `unfolded with the bed structure itself. `An important object rof the invention `is 4there- ,fore in the provisionof ausectional ffoldingfbed structure in which the methodof folding isfsuch bed can be incorporated" if l er too high nor too ungainly as'to lform a pleasing o and desirable article of'furniture Whichmaybfe Ymade up to resemble-a table, desk, chest of idrawers orother article of furniture. V fA further object of the invention is in the-provision of a cabinet'folding bed structure in-which `"the folding parts arefso related that they maybe `included below a fixed top of `suitable Iheight and compact-lyarranged therein `to fold and` unas the sections lare-inserted -and `pulled out from vbelow the iixedtop.

A still further object ofthe invention is jin the provision of a compactlyfoldingbed structure which may beincorporated asanarticle of fu-rf "niture vbelow a fixed top or maybefinsetinlawall `nicheor recess ofmihimumdimensions ande'asi` '-.-ly-fol ded A or Vvunfoldedltherefroml A further object oftheinvention Ais V`:ln-@the -lprovision of improved Vmeans `forsupportingthe have a top surface mlicgh l in extended or bedpQsitiQn;

Other and further objectsoflthe invention will appear hereinafter, the il accompanying drawings illustrating preferred em'bodir'nentsv ofithe inven- ,tiomin'whien- Y Fig. 1 is a jDQllSpective of a cabinet in .closed conditionin Whichfthe folding bed structure Ais enclosed;

Fig. 'T2 is a 'View partly in section of the Vcabi `n et showing 'a be'd bottom-therein in folded lposition: Y'

Fig. `3 is a ,Aside Velevation of the folding bed :structure in partially open position;

,Fig- 4 is a 'partial 411.12111 View and .Fia 5 is la side "elerationfshlbwieg the `folding bed structure in open or extended b ed position; Fia u61s a nersseciirsgf a mddifdcebinetrfor desk or table' purposes; 4

Fig. 7 is av sectional view ofthe cablnetshown in'Fig. "6 and aside relevah'on of `the bed Struc- :ture folded Withinthe cabinet; V

AFig. 8 is a side IView showing the ybed of Fig. -7

Fig."9 is a viewshowing the :bedstructureof lidgs) 'Land Q8 `inlint'errnedi'ate or partially foldefd mation; and

Fi g. A10i's `a, kdetail `View showing the Qollfltion ofthe rear bed section to ,Fissfto- V t l:While ithis in-ventionis .described as .applied to amalis taabinthavmg 'a ,wp 20 ,xed in position" struciuremav table or l a desk as in *Eig 6, or the .folding-bed be Ainserted :in a Wall opening land i the. end of the section 35.

the rear. section 33 by extending to opposite sides ab ove and below the end of the rear section the `rear end v These legsk are folded and unfolded in accordance tothe plate 35. of the leg 4l is a automatically controlling the folding folding movement of tions.

2 at a predetermined position by suitable fastening devices 2l. One of the levers 24 has a pivot 28 at its end connecting it to one end of the bar 2li and the other lever 25 has a pivot 29 connecting it near one end at the other end of the bar 26. The other extremities of these levers are connected at spaced distances apart to an angle bar 3B by pivots 3l and 32, the angle bars being connected at opposite sides of the cabinet to a rear section 33' of the folding bedbottom, thereby constituting the direct connectionfand supportl for attaching the folding bed bottom in the cabinet and for holding it both in collapsed and extended positions at the proper height, location and positionv l with respect to the cabinet.

Connected to the rear bed section 33. are front.

and intermediate sections hinged together by means oft-a plate 36 *atY each side joining their proximate ends. At the. other. end of the intermediate section is a double hinged connection consisting of a link 31,having apivot 138'at`the end of the section 35 anda lever 39 bent at one end somewhat inthe form of a ,bellslight distance from v The other ends of thesev members are connected by pivots' 4l! and -42 .to a cross bar 43 xed at the adjacent endv of means of a brace 44 and crank having a pivot 43 at a 33 so that the pivots 4l and 42 are at opposite sides, above and below n 4its connection with the bar 43' respectively.

To support the outer and intermediate sections -a leg 45 is pivoted intermediate the ends of the front section 34 and a leg el ispivoted adjacent yof the intermediate section 35.

with the collapsing or extension movement of the bedsections by means of a link 43 connected by -a pivot 49 to the angle portion of the bell-crank 39 and connected by a pivot 53 at its other end Extending from the upper end link l connected at one end the other end to the link 48.

to the leg and at Y l adjacent its upper end Connected to the leg 45 arlink VEvlhavin-'g its other end lconnec'tved'by a r`pivot 53near the adjacent end of vthe link 48. v

n -n't'heiry folded positions the legs 45 and 41 lie against or in close relation to their correspondfing sections 34 and 35 and they are moved to 50 supporting position `whenthe bed sections are unfolded by the movement of the controlling link rSas itis moved by the bell-.crank lever Beg-which is therefore termed'the `coordinating linkage for and unthe bed bottom as it is collapsed or extended. In the partially folded position as shown in Fig. 3 the legs are extended substantially to their supporting position and a further outward movementwillcause them to be locked in position because of the straight line connectionbetweenv the links 48 and 52 so that the extended bed will belocked against collapsing, and when the outer'section is manually raised for storing it within the cabinet any further inward l laterally against the tension of the mattress supporting vfabric 55 andthe helical sprlngs 56 .at the sidesthereof which tend to hold the fabric tight vwithin the frame formed by the bed .sec- Cross braces 5l are yalso connected. be-

34 and 35' directly .about its pivot 6I :folding f II n moving the folding bed in and .the lower ends of themiddle legs 41 `in both directions` asthe inner -gether -ratedby a mattress 'i3 of rtion to the side of the cabinet and also for connecting it by means of a spacing link 62 with the mounting bar 26 at its side of the cabinet to which it is connected by the pivot 23. Extending from the short or lower end of the bed mounting "i "leverv 25 is a link 63 having a pivot 64 at one end for connecting it with the end of the lever 25 and a pivot E35 at the other end for connecting it with the stabilizing lever 60. At itsouter or free end this stabilizing lever is provided with a contact piece 65V preferably a small'rubber button, at ,the opposite end is a spring 6l connected at at its other end to a which tends to pull the stabilizing lever downward from its raised position as shown in Fig. 2 to its applied position as shownV in Fig. 3, operated and held by the link 63 until the middle and outer sections are moved inwardly to such a point where there is no longer any danger of overturning the cabinet, at which time the stabilizing lever is automatically turned upwardly and the contact button is engaged by one of the doors 23 as it is closed, pressing the lever inwardly against the tension of the spring 6l, Thus the door tends to complete the y action and positioning of the bed frame Within the cabinet and the spring 67 tends to tension theV door in its closed position.

. To partially counterbalance and assist the l inward and outward movement of the bed frame a coil spring B9 is connected at one end to a support 10 fixed in the cabinet and at the other end to anarm or projection 'H near the end of the lever 24 `pivoted in the frame. I out ofthe cabinet it is supported by rollers or castors 'l2 at and as the outenlegs 45 are raised or lowered with the outer sections 34 in withdrawing and collapsing the bed frame sections, Vthey are moved easily section is substantially balanced onthe arms 24 and 25 and vcounterbalanced by the spring 69.

vIn this method of folding the innermost and outermost sections 33 and 34 are foldabletowith'their bed surfaces adjacent but sepasuitable weight and thickness, usually tied or otherwise attached to the bed fabric or the folding bed sections so that it will fold readilytherewith, The sections between the inner'and-outer bed sections are disposed at the bottom, the middle section 35 being at the bottom of the cabinet and connected to the inner bed section saby me double linkspfsj, 39 soV that thestructure when folded is substantially L-shaped with a space 14 at the back of v the cabinet between the upright rear section 33 andthe rear of the cabinet into which'pillows and bed clothes may beptucked or folded when ynot in use. yA materialadvantage of this method of :foldingis that by connecting the sections to `collapse in 'a substantially i-shaped folduthe cabinet itself may be made of more pleasing proportions both as to heightand to depth, so

`that apleasing article Aof furniture may be pro:

andv

into which it is positively 2,313,847 Avidchnot too high for a table or desk, and not too wide or deep as to be clumsy or ungainly in appearance.

At the bottom of the cabinet are suitable rests orngliders preferably located at the corners of the cabinet and also on the doors 23 particularly at the outer ends thereof and upon the outer legs 45. At the bottom of the-cabinet is a panel 16 which may cover the entire bottom, adding` `strength and rigidity to the cabinet. The rollers or casters 12 may engage beveled front edges at the sides, or may roll freely into and out` of side recesses at the sides of the panel in folding Vand unfolding. i

In mounting the bed structure within the cabinet the connected bed sections may be fabricated as a unit separately from the cabinet supporting means comprising the spacing bars 26 and 52,\the levers and arms connected therewith, and the angle bar 30. The various supporting links might be connected directly to the inner walls of the cabinet but in practice it is found preferable to mount them upon the bars 26 and 62 and to connect the bars by separate fastening bolts 21 or the pivots which attach i the levers to the bars 26 and 62 for the purpose of more accurately Ylocating the pivot points of the supporting levers and links and also for holding them more accurately in position. The connected bed sections may then be separately at` tached to the lower or `horizontal webs of the angle bars 30 bybolts, rivets or other fastening .means 1l as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. `This `also provides for a variation in width of the cabinets without requiring any variation in width ofthe bed structure or of the supporting means therefor in the cabinet.

The linkage structure for' operating the outer legs also acts in connection with the c0-` ordinating bars 48 as a double lock, to hold the sections Within the cabinet in folded position as shown in Fig. 2, and to hold the legs 45 against `collapsing in the extended position of the bed. To unlock the sections for unfolding the upper cross bar -51 connecting the legs 45 may be-.lV

grasped and pulled outwardly, which moves the pivots 53 inwardly out of locking line with the pivots and allows the natural unfolding and drawing out of the sections to their extended position as `shown in Fig. 5 from which position bed sections can-be folded and collapsed Within the cabinet las shownf-in Fig. 2p

To limit the forward movement of the bed sections and to assist in supporting the rear section in unfolded position, the mounting or angle bar 30 at each side is provided with a fixed stop 18 adjacent the pivot 3| of lever 24 which is engaged thereby in the unfolding movement of the bed sections and together with the lever 25 positioning of thelegs 41 when the bed bottom is extended to form a bed. 31

In the form shown in Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, the folding bed structure is substantially the same as shown in the preceding figures, it foldsV substantially in the same L-shape but is inverted ln a cabinet 80 having a fixed or rigid top 8l and the inversion of the bed structure provides a leg space 82 at the front of the cabinet so that it is adapted for use as a desk or table when the bed structure is collapsed within it. The inversion of the bed structure also alters and simplifies the bed supporting structure which comprises a mounting bar 83 mounted at each inner side of the cabinet by fastening means 84 and having links 85 and B positioned, spaced apart and each pivoted at one end to the mounting bar 83 and connected by pivots 81 and 88 to the rear bed section for swingingly mounting it in the cabinet. The sectional connections and foldingfeatures of the bed structure are the same as previously described with the exception that a cross bar 89 is substituted for the cross bar 43 and extends further below the bed section 33 to `provide a support for a front board 90 which is 92 and held xedly in connection therewith so that the` panel 9i and front board 90 thus substantially enclose 4and hide the bed structure within the cabinet when it is folded, giving the cabinet a finished and dilerent appearance resembling either a desk, table or other structure, depending `upon the design and construction thereof. v

Pivoted at the ends of the front board 90 or to a cross bar 54 connected to the lower ends of opposite bars iig by means of pivots 93 are short legs or supports 94 each having a rubber tip or button 95 at its lower end movable either manually or by gravity when the bed structure ls unfolded, and adapted to engage the floor below the end bars 8S and to form a support for *1,550 `the outer section must be raised, breaking the i locking connection as shown in Fig. 3 before the this portion of the bed when it is in extended or unfolded position. When the bed structure is raised and collapsed within the cabinet these supports 3! are turned inwardly by hand below the front board Sil and will not be visible when the structure is completely folded. In practice these supports 94 are turned outwardly before the bed structure is pulled out so that they will beready for engagement with the door as it is extended.

vIn this `form ofthe invention `nc stabilizer is shown as the mounting `of the folding bed is such that the rst action is to turn it downwardly froinwithin the cabinet as shown in Fig. 7, upon its mounting links 85 and 86, until the supports 94 engage the floor as shown in Fig. 9, and from this position the sections are unfolded to the extended position and are returned from the extended position in folding the bed so that the next movement is to invert it within the cabinet and below the xed top thereof.

Thus the bed sections are compactly foldable within a cabinet having a fixed top at a low level which adapts the cabinet structure for use as a usual or commonly employed article of furniture and of such dimensions that it is not objectionable either as to depth or height, and when thebed is incorporated in a movable cabinet stabilizing means are provided for preventing vthe cabinet from overturning in the folding and unfolding operations of the bed sections so that if desired other articles may remain on top of the cabinet without .the necessity of removing them for the folding and unfolding operations of the bed structure. This construction also is particularly adapted for use in a wall niche or recess of minimum dimensions so that it may be used as a regular or emergency bed and concealed when not in use in a door or drawer structure of minimum height which appears as a part of a built in cabinet or fixture.

I claim:

n 1. In a folding bed, a plurality Yof bed sections, a pair of which are hinged directly together, and a mounting section connected to one of the other sections by a double link hinge so that all of the sections are in alignment when they are extended, the mounting section having a cross bar extending above and below the section to which the extremities of the mounting links at each end are connected, and the cross bars on opposite sides being connected by a cross piece below the level of the bed frames Ywhen extended, and means for supporting the said mounting section to swing from an upright vertical position to a horizontal position in alignment with the other sections when they lare extended.

2. The combination with a cabinet structure ',havinga fixed top and a front opening, a folding bed structure composed of connected sections, the rearmost end section having pivoted links for mounting it in a vertical position within the cabinet and to swing it therefrom to a horizontal position extending from the cabinet, a

stop fixed on the rearmost section for engaging one of the kmounting links at each side of the cabinet for limiting the movement of the bed sections and for holding the rear section in proper alignment, the other sections being connected by a direct connection and by a double hinging link connection adapting the sections to fold together in a compact double L shape, one L nested within the other, and both within the cabinet.

3. The combination with a cabinet comprising a front opening, a folding bed comprisingl a plurality of connected sections foldable within the cabinet and movable therefrom, means for mounting one of the end sections upon a pair of pivoted links at each side for movement from a vertical position within the cabinet to a hori zontal position extending from the cabinet, and a stabilizer connected to and operated by one of the links and pivoted to the sidewall near the front and bottom thereof withinthe cabinet comprising an arm movable into engagement with the floor at the front of the cabinet Aas the sections are moved into alignment" and remaining in such engagement for a portion of the time that they are being returned into the cabinet.

4. 'I'he combination with'a cabinet or recess of fixed height, depth and front opening, of a folding bed structure to fold compactly therein into a substantially double L-shaped position, one VL being seated in but spaced from the other, said structure being composed of a plurality of Vsections connected directly together and by a double link connection between two of' the sections, coordinating link'means connecting the sections at each side thereof to limit the folding from a position in alignment in frontkof Vthe cabinet to the doubley L position within the cabinet, means for mounting the sections to swing within the cabinet or recess below the fixed top thereof, said means comprising a pair of links connected to the rearmost section, and a stop on the rearmost section located rearwardly of the connection 'of the links thereto for engaging the upper edge of one of the links at eachY side for limiting the unfolding movement of the sections and to provide a support for the inner end of the said rearmost section. Y f

5. A structure in accordance with claim 4 in which legs for supporting the outerrs'ections are each pivoted at its upper end to one of the'sec- Ving mounting links connecting the rearmost sec- Ytion to the inner sides of the cabinet, a stabilizing arm pivoted to the sidewall at the front within the cabinet and having a member pivoted thereto and to one of said links and being quickly movable thereby in the folding and unfolding action of the bed sections so that the arm engages the oor in front of the cabinet soon after the unfolding movement of the bed structurel commences and remains in such engagement until 'the bed structure when being collapsed `is nearly returned'within the cabinet, to prevent the forward overturning of thecabinet. Y

JOSEPH R. THOMAS. 

